Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet

George

Two months later...

For Shining Petals

Cassandra watched the snow fall down and dance in the January wind as she waited for her brother, George to arrive. She remembered how she would sit by the fire and watch the snow fall in the winter evening as a child. There was a fireplace close to where she was sitting now but the Academy didn't nearly provide the warmth and comfort her home once did. She had received a letter this time, much to Miss Henderson's approval, that he would be attending the January visiting day. It was about time a family member visited her, other than Helen but that was a visit day which went wrong. Mrs Henderson found out about her 'public dispute' with Mr Hawkins who had made a name for himself obviously since Mrs Henderson even knew of him. She was confined to kitchen duties for a month which was fine since she got to spend time with Nell. Still after a few days her hands began to go raw. She shook her head and hadn't been able to erase the memory from her mind. She had never made such a fool of herself. She fidgeted in her seat as she waited for her brother to arrive and even began to have the creeping anxiety of him not actually turning up. She glanced over at her friends from the corner who gave her encouraging looks in her direction. He's going to come, don't worry. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to visualise her brother walking through the crowds towards her.

George Richardson scanned the crowds for his younger sister. He had to go to some reception and inform them that he was coming to visit his sister, then had to prove that he was who he claimed to be, wait for a teacher to escort to somewhere which would take him less than a minute to get to without any directions to get to. He had more trouble getting onto a pirate ship...Now he just had to find her amongst the array of young women. She was probably tucked in a corner somewhere, knowing Cassandra. Despite the fact that since Helen's arrival she had become more extroverted she was still rather a private person. She probably would be more so in these situations. However whenever he tried looking for her his eyes were always drawn to a girl with strawberry blonde ringlets and sad, sapphire blue eyes. He found himself wondering what made her so sad. Her eyes were glazing over as if she was about to cry. It would be very untoward of him to walk up to her, especially when she was with her family and introduce himself. The nineteen-year-old-Spacer-in-training made a mental note for his sister to introduce him to the young woman. Even if she didn't approve of his choice.

"George!" His sister's voice snapped him out of his daze and was welcomed with a hasty kiss on the cheek and was pulled through the crowds to the expected corner to hide in.

"I've been calling you and calling you but you were standing there like you were being hypnotized."

"I suppose I was." He murmured as he looked over in the mystery girls direction with a grin on his face. Cassandra frowned and looked in the direction he was looking in.

"Who's caught your eye then?" She questioned. She scanned the area and all she saw was Aurelia Felnela and one of her closest friends, Diana.

"The blonde haired one." He answered, not looking away.

"They're both blonde." She replied dryly.

"What?" He asked, still not looking away.

"Give me more than just blonde." She answered. Please, please, please don't tell me my brother's fallen in love with that rich brat.

"The one with blue eyes, looks really sad."

Cassandra sighed and knew that only meant Diana. She knew Aurelia would be able to hide the fact that she was sad because she was on deaths door and still look serene and blissful. Diana was the only woman in the room with a good excuse to be sad even when most people would think otherwise. Now she didn't know what was worse. George falling in love with an aristocrat who she couldn't stand. Or with her closest friend who was already promised to another aristocrat and in a situation where she wouldn't be able to easily weasel her way out of. Then again if it was choice between having a sister in law she couldn't stand or one whom married her brother under questionable and slightly illegal circumstances she would admit she would go for the latter opposed to the former. It would either leave her parents in debt and leave her disgraced. She didn't want to disappoint her brother but she didn't want to leave them both disgraced if Diana returned his affections and pursued a relationship with him. The story of Diana's aunt and her elopement circled in Cassandra's mind.

"Her name's Diana Firestone." She answered curtly.

George quickly turned to his sister with an eager expression on his face. "You know her?"

She shrugged her shoulders, she wasn't going to lie to her brother. Lies always got found out in the end. "I share a room with her." She answered simply.

"So you must know her really well! What's she like?"

Cassandra leaned back slight and blinked at her brother with surprise. "Well, she's quiet, polite, kind, considerate. In other words she's very unlike the women in her station and is a wonderful girl." She closed her eyes knowing she was going to regret the next words which were going to pass her lips. "And she is also a very close friend of mine."

Oh Lord, what have I done?

"So you can introduce us." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. When she opened her eyes George had already got to his feet.

Cassandra took in a deep breath and took his offered hand and got out of the chair. He seemed rather eager for her to do so considering it was the only way he was going to be able to get across the other room to her. Logic was telling him to calm down and sit to have tea for a few minutes, as demeaning at that solution seemed but it was the only thing she could think of. She wasn't socially inapt but she had no idea what to do in this situation. She gripped onto her brothers arm as he swam through the sea of people towards the Firestone's. She dug her nails into his arm but he didn't seem to notice...This was not a good sign. She just hoped the attraction wouldn't be mutual. Her brother was hopeless sometimes but she couldn't ever imagine him forcing a woman to love him. Cassandra could feel her heart beating in her chest, knowing that this wasn't going to end well. Why she didn't tell her brother about the engagement she had no idea. It was would be the sensible and rational thing to do. Ever since the argument she had with James Hawkins she hadn't been able to think straight or logically. Maybe there was a part of her hoping that an elopement would be the answer for Diana's troubles. She shook her head. She had been spending too much time with Selina. Besides, she had her family to think of. The moment she would leave her family the next they would be living in a cardboard box.

She put on a brave face and beamed at Diana. "Diana!"

Diana looked up and smiled slightly at her friend. Her family turned to see who it was, half-expecting it to be Selina with such a booming voice only to find it was her new friend, Cassandra Richardson, arm-in-arm with her brother, George.

"Mr Firestone. Mrs Firestone. Where are your sons?" She inquired.

"Ah, they are off doing...Goodness knows. I'd rather not know to be frank. Who is this, may I ask?"

"Ah, I am sorry. This is my brother George. George this is Mr and Mrs Firestone."

George reached out and shook the politicians hand. "Sir, its a great honour."

"I assure you it's not, my boy. This is my daughter, Diana. My sons are not here today so you may find yourself being bored to death by women's chit-chat today."

George chuckled. "I have a feeling I won't be, sir." Staring in Diana's direction.

Diana seemed to blush under the sparkling, kind gaze of the young man. George Richardson had sandy blonde hair and his sisters bright green eyes. Diana found herself drawn to them like a moth to a flame. They reminded of the emerald brooch which had been sent to her by the Duke which she was yet to wear. She felt that if she wore it she would be truly making a promise to him by making it a public statement. She smiled back sweetly and looked back down at the pink rose she seemed to be busying herself with while her parents had conversations with other parents. Cassandra rolled her eyes knowing that her hope of Diana not being attracted to her brother had failed. There was no way she was going to easily sort this out herself. She was going to have to bring Selina in. Then again she would try to do the opposite of what Cassandra wanted to do. She brought couples together, not drive them away. Cassandra, remembering her lessons sat next to her friend, knowing it would be unseemly for her brother to sit next to an unmarried lady. George sat as close to Cassandra as possible in order to be as close to Diana as possible. She had a feeling that this would be one of the most uncomfortable situations she would have to experience.

"So, Miss Firestone, what do you think to my sister's unconventional opinions?" George began politely. Cassandra glanced at him with a sly smile on her face.

Someone's been practising their manners as well it seems.

Diana giggled. "I think they're very refreshing, Mr Richardson. However the one thing I appreciate the most about your sister is how kind-hearted and thoughtful she can be."

George laughed. "Are you sure we're talking about the same person? Or has this institution actually done something to make some improvements in my sister? Not that she needs any." Adding this was an affectionate peck on the cheek.

Cassandra gave him a charm laugh between tightly closed lips and turned back to her friend. "Don't worry. If he continues I can always send him away. He deserves it anyway he didn't come to the last visiting day. When I was all alone." She said in a mock melancholic voice.

"And I have apologised for that, a thousand times over. Have I not written to you nearly every single week begging for your forgiveness?" He pleaded.

Cassandra gave him a desperate look. Please, please, please brother stop. He obviously thought she was playing some game and he was going along with it. Possibly thinking it may attract Diana's attentions.

"Anyway, I heard that you were not completely alone on the last visiting day." He replied coolly.

"Yes, I did spend some time with my friends families while they were here." She replied curtly hoping to not arouse suspicion.

"No I didn't mean that. I meant that there was someone here to visit you. James Hawkins, if I remember correctly."

Cassandra blinked at him innocently. "How do you know him?"

George shook his head. "I just met him on one of my lectures."

"Bu-"

Cassandra stopped and shook her head. It was best not to question him on it. Also she didn't want to make a display of herself again only this time giving everyone a demonstration of a sibling dispute rather than one between a respectable Captain and gentleman and a 'young lady'. Besides, the more she asked the more suspicious she would seem. She might as well admit that not only did she know him but that he was here. If George knew of James Hawkins he most surely knew about what happened between them as well. That was something she didn't really want to discuss right now. She knew it was most likely that James Hawkins went to her brother to express his concern for her welfare. Also with adding upon her behaviour the last time they talked to one another just to place emphasis upon how 'serious' the situation was. No doubt before he would leave, her brother would pull her to one side and question her on her actions. She decided to save the argument till later. She was going to do this at least for Diana who seemed to be enjoying George's company who deserved as much happiness as possible before she imprisoned herself in a loveless marriage.

"So which year are you in, Mr Richardson?" Diana asked.

"I'm currently in my fourth year. I graduated quite early since I always got top marks and the board thought it was best I moved on swiftly."

"How many years are there altogether?"

"Seven. So I only have three more to go before I can begin professionally."

Diana threw a sparkling smile in George's direction. "It must be so exciting."

"I assure the reality is better than the stories. Cassandra could tell you all about that. She went on a voy-" Then stopped remembering how his sister's first voyage also marked the last voyage their father ever made.

Diana nodded kindly. "Yes. She told me about that. I am sorry about your father."

"Thank you."

"My father told me he was a great man. But Cassandra always tells us of how he was a great father also."

George nodded solemnly. "He was."

"So anyway why were you talking to James Hawkins?" Cassandra decided to bite the bullet. Why not?

George frowned. "Like I said he was giving a lecture and recognised my name on the list. He promised he would offer me a placement in my last year as well."

Cassandra knew that this was another sign of James Hawkins interfering with the family politics of the Richardson's. She told him specifically that she only wanted him to help Helen and no one else. If he took this any further than necessary what would happen is that Fredrick would find out then Fredrick would also find out that Helen was being financially supported in some way or another and would be annoyed with this and this would lead him to channelling all of his energies into bringing about her social downfall. All because her father brought her under his wing and took her as his own. But that didn't annoy her as much as James Hawkins was annoying her. If he was doing this because he loved her this wasn't because of that. He was doing this to infuriate her. She had damaged her pride and the only way a man could express that or get back at them was interfere with their plans. She had never felt so infuriated or allowed someone to bother her so much. If this was what it was like to be in love with someone she would rather go without it. She swore the next time she would cross paths with him she would punch him right in the face. He had no right to be behaving like this but she couldn't help but be touched by him caring for Helen and helping her brother.

"He mentioned something about you. He says that he's quite...Well I'm talk to you later." He said

patting her hand.

Yep, that's a signal for the brother-sister conversation reserved for later notice.

"Darling," All three of them looked up to find the Firestone's getting out of their seats. "We're just about to leave but we have one more thing we wish to speak to you about. Would you walk with us?"

Diana nodded and glanced at the Richardson's. "I'll speak with you later. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr Richardson."

George took her hand and kissed it causing her to giggle. When she walked away she cast him a last glance over her shoulder and followed her parents.

"Now." His voice suddenly went dark. "Mr Hawkins informed me you had a little argument with him."

Cassandra folded her arms and sighed. "Yes. What of it?"

"Well I think as the benefactor of our adoptive sister I would think someone like you should be more grateful. Considering you were the one you asked him to support her?"

"And what would've happened if I hadn't? You know better than I that Fredrick would've thrown her out on the streets as soon as she stepped through the doorway."

"Oh I know. But the fact that you were so rude to him is beyond my understanding, Cassandra. What- What did he do to anger you so?"

"He offered to help me to- I always to-"

"Cassandra spit it out."

"I wanted to join the Interstellar Academy. Alright? Fredrick had other plans but I have my own. Once I turn eighteen I come into my money not even Fredrick can change that I will use that money to fund my study there and I will earn money however I can."

"Cassandra." George's voice had gone softer and took her hand. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you would've gone to Fredrick and he would've ruined all your chances at the Academy. Do you not see how manipulative and spiteful he can be if someone crosses him?"

George nodded. "Yes, Cassandra I do know. Thank you." He almost spat.

"So you can understand why I'm trying to do this by myself. If I do this alone I will be the only one being disgraced. If I do go down I don't want to take anyone with me."